Core Exercises for Your Lower Back

Reviewed by Dr. Kshitij Chaudhary, Last reviewed October 2026

A strong, well-controlled core is one of the best things you can do for your lower back. This is a sample program to help you find your deep core muscles and train them step by step. It does not replace an individual plan from your doctor or physiotherapist.

What is your core?

Think of your core as a muscular corset wrapped around your middle. It supports and protects your spine. Four muscle groups work together as one unit:

• Front and sides: the transversus abdominis, your deepest tummy muscle. It works like a natural weight belt.
• Back: the multifidus, small deep muscles attached to each joint of your spine.
• Top: your diaphragm, the main breathing muscle.
• Bottom: your pelvic floor.

Together they create gentle pressure inside your trunk that braces your lower spine without you having to think about it.

Why does your core matter?

• Your spine needs muscle support. On its own, the spine would buckle under surprisingly little weight. Your core holds it steady.
• It protects your discs and joints. Deep muscles hold each spinal joint in place, so the spine does not slip, twist too far or grind on ◾Degenerative Disc Disease (Lumbar Spondylosis) and nerves.
• It gives your arms and legs a steady base. You can lift, push, pull and walk without sending harmful force into your lower back.
• It switches on before you move. In a healthy back, these muscles tighten a split second before you move an arm or leg. After back pain, a ◾Lumbar Disc Herniation & Sciatica (Slipped disc in lower back) or back surgery, they often switch off and do not recover on their own. They need specific retraining.

How can you check your core?

Do not test how much you can lift. Check control and endurance instead. Stop if any check brings on pain.

1. Drawing-in test. Lie on your back with knees bent. Gently pull your lower tummy (belly button) in towards your spine. If your belly bulges outward, your hips tilt or you hold your breath, your deep core is not working well.
2. Leg-slide test. Keep that gentle tightening and slide one leg out straight, or lift one foot slightly off the floor. If your lower back arches, rotates or aches, your core is struggling to hold the spine steady.
3. Plank hold. Rest on your elbows and toes (or knees) with your body in a straight line. Try to hold for 30 seconds. If you cannot, or you feel the work only in your lower back or shoulders and not in your tummy, your core endurance is low.

Before you start

• Check with your doctor or physiotherapist first if you have had back surgery, have leg pain, numbness or weakness, or are unsure.
• Start slowly. Mild muscle tiredness is normal. Sharp or worsening pain is not.
• Work at a gentle effort, under 30%. If your neck, shoulders or buttocks tighten, you are working too hard.
• Breathe normally. Never hold your breath. Breathe out gently as you tighten, as if blowing out a candle.
• Stop if back pain or leg pain increases, and tell your doctor.

The four steps

1. Step 1: Wake up the deep core. Gentle tightening at low effort, lying down or on hands and knees. The three exercises below cover this step.
2. Step 2: Add arm and leg movements. Once you can hold the gentle tightening for 10 seconds, move your arms and legs while keeping your lower back still. Examples are heel slides, single-leg lifts, the dying bug and the bird-dog.
3. Step 3: Build endurance upright. Sit on a therapy ball, then try wall squats, lunges, half-planks and side planks. Hold for 30 to 60 seconds. The Spine Conditioning Program (Stretching & Strengthening Exercises) has more exercises for this stage.
4. Step 4: Use your core in daily life. Bend at the hips and knees instead of rounding your lower back. Pivot with your feet instead of twisting through your spine when you carry things.

STEP 1 Exercises

Exercise 1: Drawing-in, lying on your back

Teaches your deepest tummy muscle to switch on gently.

1. Lie on your back with knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Keep your spine in a comfortable, natural curve.
2. Place your fingertips just inside and below the bony points at the front of your hips, about 2 cm in.
3. Breathe in gently. As you breathe out, draw your belly button in towards your spine, as if narrowing your waist.
4. Keep the effort low. You should feel a flat sheet of tension under your fingertips, with no bulging.
5. Hold for 10 seconds while breathing normally. Then relax.

Do not press your back flat into the floor or tilt your hips. Your spine stays still.

10 repetitions, 2 to 3 times a day.

Exercise 2: Drawing-in, on hands and knees

The same muscle, with gravity helping you.

1. Get on your hands and knees, with hands under shoulders and knees under hips.
2. Keep your back flat. Do not round or arch it.
3. Breathe out and draw your belly button up and in towards your spine.
4. Hold for 10 seconds without tilting your hips or holding your breath.

10 repetitions, 2 times a day.

Exercise 3: Back muscle setting, lying on your tummy

Wakes up the small deep muscles along your spine.

1. Lie face down. A thin pillow under your tummy is fine if it is more comfortable.
2. Place your fingertips beside the bony bumps of your lower spine.
3. Gently tighten so the muscle swells under your fingers. Do not arch your back or lift your legs.
4. Hold for 5 to 10 seconds, then relax.

10 repetitions.

What should you avoid?

• Holding your breath.
• Pressing your back into the floor or tilting your hips.
• Pushing through sharp pain.
• Moving on to Step 2 before you can hold the gentle tightening for 10 seconds.

How soon will you see benefits?

Control usually improves within a few weeks of daily practice. Strength and endurance come later, as you move through Steps 2 and 3. A strong core helps, but no exercise can promise a life without back pain. See 🧵Common myths about low back pain and 📕The Back Pain Guide for the bigger picture.

Can you do these after a slipped disc or surgery?

Many people do, but ask your surgeon or physiotherapist when to start. These exercises suit the early stage of rebuilding.

When should you see a doctor?

See your doctor if:

• leg pain or back pain keeps getting worse
• you have new numbness or weakness in a leg
• there is no improvement after several weeks of regular practice

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About Dr. Kshitij Chaudhary

This page was written by Dr. Kshitij Chaudhary, a fellowship-trained spine surgeon at P.D. Hinduja Hospital, Mumbai, trained in complex spine surgery at Harvard Medical School (Beth Israel Deaconess) and the Twin Cities Spine Center, Minneapolis. 🏃🏾About Dr. Chaudhary

This page is for general information and does not replace a medical consultation. Please see a doctor for advice about your own symptoms.